Trees can add shade and beauty to the appearance of your home and yard. However, as your trees bloom, blossom, and grow they can begin to take over your yard, causing eye sores and even dangerous situations. How do you know when tree trimming
is necessary for your yard?
Take a close look at the trees in your yard. Do any of the branches or limbs appear to be dead or broken? Dead or broken branches or limbs can fall off the trees without warning, causing serious safety hazards for anyone who enters or leaves your yard. In the winter, the weight of the heavy snow will weigh down on dead and broken branches even more. Depending on where the dead or broken branches may be on the tree in the winter and the severity of the weather, this can cause safety hazards to people in your yard or even your home itself.
Sometimes trees are vulnerable to infections or even spots that do not grow and develop very well. You can save the tree by strategically pruning the affected branches and limbs. Thinning the crown can improve the airflow to the tree, which could help the tree grow and develop. Branches that are crossing or rubbing together should be taken care of as soon as they are spotted. The constant rubbing can weaken the branches, causing them to fall without warning. Crossing branches can also be weakened, especially if the wind causes them to rub together. In the winter, crossing branches will be vulnerable to heavy snow resting on them.
Tree branches can obstruct a driver’s vision, if they are hanging low enough in the street. If you live on a busy street or road, it is important for you to pay attention to how low your branches hang in the spring, summer, and fall, especially if your tree is near the street. If your tree is growing near power lines, it is very important to make sure the branches and limbs do not interfere with the lines. Should you notice the branches and limbs are too close to the power lines, you should contact your utility company as soon as possible.
Tree trimming
is best done in the dormant season, when trees are not growing or developing as much. Branches that are weak, V-shaped, or have narrow angles should be trimmed. Strong branches and ones with U-shaped angles should be left alone. If you are going to prune the branches, it is important to do it while the tree is young, so you do not risk leaving nasty scars in the bark.